On July 1, Cincinnati, Ohio welcomed Taylor Swift to Paycor Stadium, the heart of the beloved Cincinnati Bengals. Even with an early start due to weather concerns, the singer braced the stage, looking comfortable and confident as she waved to screaming fans.
This tour of Swift’s has been long overdue, being her first in five years after the COVID-19 pandemic canceled many of her scheduled live performances. Luckily, the “Eras Tour” made up for all the lost time, with the singer performing songs from all 10 of her albums.
Promptly arriving on stage at 7 p.m., the stadium shook as the singer opened with “Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince,” which quickly transitioned into the fan-favorite “Cruel Summer.” As fans shouted its iconic bridge, “I’m drunk in the back of the car / And I cried like a baby coming home from the bar,” you could see Swift smile with delight. Next from the “Lover” era came the feminist anthem “The Man,” “You Need To Calm Down” and its title track, which were short and sweet yet memorable.
“The Archer” was the last song Swift chose to sing from this era, leaving fans in a state of disarray as she sang of her flaws and insecurities. Thankfully, this sense of sorrow faded as the “Fearless” era came into full swing as the singer changed from a sparkly bodysuit to a golden fringe dress and cowboy boots. Singing the title track, “You Belong With Me” and “Love Story,” it felt like deja vu from all those years ago when Swift grew in popularity back in 2009.
Disappearing momentarily, the singer came back out on stage with a burgundy dress and ballet slippers to commence the “evermore” era, which was nice to see performed live after three years of waiting. Even though “‘tis the damn season” and “marjorie” were shortened to make space for the witch-inspired set for “willow,” Swift took time to sit down and take in the view around her during “champagne problems,” one of the best live songs of the night.
Following the tearjerker came “tolerate it,” and Swift brought out the dramatics as she stomped on a dinner table as one of her background dancers acted as a disinterested lover across from her. Going along with this theme, the singer ran off to prepare for her “reputation” era, a nostalgic moment in the show for someone who saw her during the album’s tour in 2018.
As she strutted across the stage and ascended onto a moving stair pillar, all of Swift’s previous eras were seen in boxes, banging against the glass to be let out. Singing “Ready for It?...,” “Delicate,” “Don’t Blame Me” and “Look What You Made Me Do,” the singer poked fun at her old self, obviously looking more carefree and powerful than she used to. With red and white strobe lights, this era was definitely one of the most fun to watch, and Swift flawlessly hit all the high notes necessary to get fans roaring.
Sadly, Swift only played one song from “Speak Now” after completing this era, but hearing “Enchanted” live was just as magical. Entering the middle of the stage in a pink ball gown, the singer looked flawless as her dancers twirled around her. All in all, it was a sentimental moment, especially as the re-recorded version of the album drops this Friday.
After singing of love and enchantment, Swift changed the tone as she belted tracks from her “Red” era: “22,” “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” “I Knew You Were Trouble” and “All Too Well (10 Minute Version).” Obviously, the latter was the best of the four, and it was fulfilling to hear the lyrics, “And you call me up again just to break me like a promise / So casually cruel in the name of being honest.”
However, heartbreak and deceit only last so long, and Swift made sure to deliver with her “folklore” era, being how historic of a release it was back in 2020. Starting off with “the 1," the singer sang on top of a tree house as she looked back on her previous relationships, transitioning next into “betty” and “the last great american dynasty.” Yet, the most stunning were “august,” “illicit affairs” and “my tears ricochet,” as the singer twirled around and even dropped to her knees as she begged a past lover to take her more seriously.
“cardigan” ended this era, and only made it more bittersweet as you could see the maturity in Swift’s vocals and lyrics. With another brief pause in the show, fans waited anxiously for the start of the “1989” era, one of my all-time favorite albums by the singer. Sporting a fiery orange two-piece, Swift brought even more energy to songs “Style,” “Blank Space,” “Wildest Dreams” and “Bad Blood.” Although they were shortened as well, the audience was arguably at its loudest during this part of the show, and it was again nostalgic to see Swift in a healthier and happier place.
Finally came the most anxiety-filled moment of the show: the surprise songs. Unbeknownst to the crowd, Swift brought out producer and collaborator Aaron Dessner to sing “ivy” for the first time live, being that he’s from Cincinnati. This was my favorite song of the night for sure, and their chemistry on stage was sweet to see.
With this surprise song, fans were expecting to just hear one more, except Swift shocked fans as she announced she would be singing three songs because of the weather delay. Thus, Gracie Abrams graced the stage, another surprise collaboration, to sing her song “I miss you, I’m sorry,” which actually was an amazing display of how well their voices could meld together.
As Abrams exited the stage, the singer moved to the piano to sing “Call It What You Want” as the last surprise song, and fans were ecstatic to hear the love ballad after Swift has only sung one other song from “reputation” during this time on tour. As phone lights lit up the stadium, Swift blushed and blew kisses to the crowd as she went on to finish off the show with her last era of the night, “Midnights.”
“Meet me at midnight” blasted through the stadium as Swift entered in a purple fur coat and sparkly silver shirt dress, singing “Lavender Haze.” Next came the self-loathing anthem “Anti-Hero,” as well as “Midnight Rain” and “Vigilante Sh*t,” where Swift revealed a navy blue bodysuit and matching knee-high boots. Singing alongside her dancers in a row of black chairs, you simply did not want to mess with the singer at this moment in the show.
“Bejeweled” followed, and it was honestly better than expected to hear live. Allowing her dancers to show off their best moves throughout the song, Swift was cheerful and giddy even after almost three hours of performing. “Mastermind” was another interesting track to see live, the singer setting up the stage like a chessboard to sing about her calculated way of flirting.
The final song of the night was “Karma,” and it did not disappoint. As confetti and fireworks lit up the sky, the audience said one last goodbye to Swift as she made her way all across the stage to say thank you. As the lights faded and the singer sank into the ground below her offstage, all Swifties looked happy, satisfied, and of course, exhausted.
Overall, the “Eras Tour” is by far Taylor Swift’s best, a nostalgic, nearly three-hour set that doesn’t lose any of its charm. The singer gives her fans exactly what they’ve been wanting and waiting for for years, and it will go down as one of the most memorable and iconic music tours of this decade.
Rating: 5/5
